Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1887-07-02
Marual iaw was PROCLAIMED,

~~~ SAS Nv AN "~ - 6V1 y WAAAAAA
and incapable Of defense, was abandoned, the
inhabitants being ordered into lager on the
high ground overlooking the city. There
they were, young and old, sick and well, deli
cate women and little children, all crowded
together in the open under the cover Of the
fort. with nothing but canvas tents, wagons
and sheds to shelter them from the fierce sum-
mer suns n rain. Jess had to share q
wagon with her friend and her friends sister
and mother, and found it rather o tight fit
even to lie down. Sleep, with all the noises
Of the camp going on round her, was q prac-
tical impossibiity.
It was about 8 O'Clock on the day following
that first miserable night in the lager when,
by the last mail that passed into Pretoria, she
got Bessiefs letter announcing her engage
ment to John. She took her letter and went
some way from the camp to the side Of Signal
Hill, where she was not likely to be disturbed,
and, finding q nook shaded in by mimosa
trees, sat down and broke the envelope. Be-
fore she had got to the foot Of the first page she
saw what was coming n set her teeth. Then
she read the long letter through from begin
ming to end without flinching, though the
words Of affection seemed to burn her. So it
had come at last. Well, she expected it, and
had plotted to bring 1t about, 90 really there
was no reason In the world why she should
feel disappointed. On the contrary, she
ought to rejoice, and for a little while she
really did rejoice in her sisters happiness. 1t
made her happyt to think that Bessie, whom
she dearly loved, was happy.
And yet she felt angry with John with that
sort Of anger which we feel against those who
have blindly injured Us. Why should he
have it in his power to hurt her sol Still she
hoped that he would he happy with Bessie,
and then she hoped that these wretched
Beers would take Pretoria, and that sho
would be shot or put out Of tho way some-
how. She had no heart for lio; all the color
had faded from her sky. What was she to
do with herselfi She would not stop on the
farm after John and Bessie were married:
she was quite clear as to that; nor, IL she
could avoid it, would she return there before
they were married. She would SEQ him no
more, no more! Alas, that she had ever seen
him.
Feeling somewhat happier, or at any rate
calmer, in this determination, she rose to re-
turn to the noisy camp, extending her walk,
however, by making II detour toward tho
Heidelberg road, for she was anxious to be as
long alone as she could. She had been walk
ing some ten minutes when she caught sight
Of a cart that seemed familiar to her, with
three horses harnessed In front Of it and one
tied N behind, which were also familiar.
There were a lot Of mon walking alongside of
tho cart, all talking eagerly. She halted to
let the little procession go by, when suddenly
she perceived John Mel among tho men and
recognized the Zulu Mouti on the box. There
was the man whom she had just vowed never
to see again, and the sight of him seemed to
take all her strength out of her, SO that sho
felt inclined to sink involuntarily upon tho
veldt. His sudden appearance was almost
uncanny In the sharpness of it's illustration of
her impotence in the hands of fate. She felt
it then; all in On instant it seemed to BIO borne
in upon her mind that she could not help her
self. but was only the instrument in tho
hands of a superior power whose will she was
fulfilling through tho workings of her passion
and to whom her individual fate was a matter
OF little moment. 1t was inconclusivo req
soning and perilous doctrine, but it must he
allowed that the circumstances gave 1t tho
color Of truth. And, after all, the border
line between fatalism and free will has mover
been quite authoritatively settled, oven by
st. Paul, so perhaps she was right. Mankind
does not like to admit it, but it is, ut tho least,
q question whether wo can oppose our little
wills against the forces Of the universal law
or derange the details! of tho unvarying plan
to suit tho petty wants and hopes Of individ-
ual mortality. Jess was n clover woman, but
it would take q wiser head than hers to know
where or when to draw that red line across
the writings of our life.
On camo the cart and tho knot of men, and
then suddenly John looked up and saw her
looking ut him with those dark eyes that did,
indeed, seem at times as though they were tho
windows of her soul. He turned and said
something to his companions and to tho Zulu
Mouti, who went on with tho cart, and then
came toward her smiling and with out
stretched hand.
allow do you do, JESSE" he said. $50 1 have
found you all rightp
She took his hand and answered, almost
angrily, "Why have you come. Why did you
leave Bessie and my uncle"
~ came because I was sent, and also be.
cause l wished to. I wanted to get you hack
home before Pretoria was besioged."
"You must have been mad! How could
you expect to get back? We shall both be
shut up here together now."
$50 it appears. Well, things might be
worse" he added, cheerfully.
II do not think that anything could be
worse" she answered. with n stamp of her
foot, and then, quite thrown of her balance,
burst incontinently into a flood Of tears.
John Mel was a very simple minded man,
and it mover struck him to attribute her grief
to any other cause than anxiety at the state
OF affairs and ut her incarceration for an
indefinite period in a besicged town that ran
daily risk Of being taken vi ct arms. Still he
was a little hurt at the manner of his rcccp-
ton after his long and most perilous journey,
which is not, perhaps, to DO wondered at.
"Well, JESS" he said, II think that you
might speak a little more kindly to me,
Notwithstanding all things. There,
don't cry, they are all right ct Mooifontein,
and l dare say that we shall get back there
somehow sometime or other. l had a nice
business to get here at all, 1 can tell you"
She suddenly stopped weeping and smiled,
her tears passing away like a summer storm.
allow did you get through1" she asked. "Tell
me oil about it, Capt. Mel" and accordingly
be did.
She listened in silence while he sketched the
chief events Of his journey, and when he had
done she spoke in quite a changed tone.
sit Is very good and kind Of you to have
rslcd your life like this for me. Only l
wonder that you did not all of you SEQ that it
would be of no use. We shall both be shut
up here together now, that Is oil, and that
will be very sad for you and Bessie"
@Oh. So you have heard of our engage
mentT" he said.
ayes, I got Bessie's letter about q couple
Of hours ago, and I congratulate you both
very much. I think that you will have the
sweetest and ~loveliest wife in South Africa,
Capt. Mel; and I think that Bessie will have
q husband any woman might be proud Of"
and she bali bowed and half courtesied to
him as she said it, with a graceful little air Of
dignity that was verv taking.